For the Gazette
CENTRAL WISCONSIN – In mid-December, Archer North, LLC, led by owners/developers Michael and Chris Keiser, signed the North Central Conservancy Trust’s latest conservation easement, forever protecting nearly 300 acres of privately-owned land located at the Lido Conservancy in the Town of Rome in Adams County. The now-protected property has been undergoing significant ecological restoration and management work to restore the native habitats once found on the property and throughout the sand plains of Central Wisconsin.

The Lido Conservancy conservation easement is part of a larger development project being implemented by Archer North, LLC, to build single family home lots and an 18-hole golf course fashioned after the legendary Lido Golf Club. The project site is located north of Sand Valley, a four-season destination resort, and was selected for its sandy conditions, which are ideal for the company’s historic re-creation of the course. In the area protected by the conservation easement, important restoration activities take precedence while activities like development and construction, subdivision of the property, and other uses harmful to the property’s conservation values are limited.

The Lido Conservancy conservation easement project was initiated in early 2021 when representatives from Archer North, LLC contacted NCCT to discuss land protection options for its property. The goal was to add a permanent layer of protection to a large portion of the property to complement the habitat restoration work already underway and permanently conserve the improved habitats being restored by the group’s efforts.

In the early 1800s before the region was settled by Europeans, the Lido Conservancy property hosted a mixture of sand dunes (barrens), woodland, and prairie habitats that were populated by jack pine and oak trees. Over time, the property was converted almost in its entirety to a red pine plantation and was intensively managed for timber production, decreasing habitat for local native plants and animals.
Over the past year, significant work has been done to remove the red pine plantations and begin preparing the site for the next stages of the restoration project, which will continue in 2022 and include invasive species control and native plant seedings. The goal of this work is to restore and enhance the sand barren and prairie plant community types that once thrived on the property. When complete, this project will create important habitat for native plant and animal species.

To date, three different threatened and/or endangered species have been found on or within close proximity to the protected area, making this property extremely significant for conservation and reinforcing the importance of the restoration work that is being done to improve this site.

“With only a few thousand acres of sand and pine barrens left in Wisconsin, conserving nearly 300 acres of land suited for these habitat types is an important step for this type of ecological landscape,” said Anna Haines, NCCT Board Member and Community Development Specialist with the UW-Madison Division of Extension. “This property is now preserved for the future from development of any sort and will provide crucial habitat for the rare plants and animals that live there.”

NCCT’s Board President, Kay Meyer, added “Being a part of this easement and restoration project has brought so much energy to NCCT. We could not be more pleased. It embodies so much of what we work toward in conserving our lands for the future.”

“Conservation is an important part of our family’s golf and development projects,” said Michael Keiser, Archer North’s co-managing member. “We appreciate the opportunity to partner with the NCCT on the conservation easement to restore and maintain the natural habitat that once existed in the central sands of Wisconsin. Aldo Leopold would be proud of us.”

A conservation easement is a voluntary agreement between a landowner and land trust which defines the uses that can take place on a private property in order to protect its conservation values. The terms of a conservation easement are discussed by the landowner and land trust until all parties are satisfied with the document. Then, the conservation easement is filed with the local Register of Deeds to tie the conservation easement to the title of the property. Conservation easements are permanent and can provide significant peace of mind for property owners who know that their land will continue to be protected in the future.

After signing a conservation easement, NCCT is responsible for ensuring that the terms of the easement are permanently honored by current and future property owners.

If you would like to learn more about NCCT visit www.ncctwi.org or call their office at 715-344-1910.